Career and Education Opportunities for Marketing Managers in Columbia, South Carolina

Marketing managers can find both educational opportunities and jobs in the Columbia, South Carolina area. Currently, 1,500 people work as marketing managers in South Carolina. This is expected to grow by 15% to 1,730 people by 2016. This is better than the national trend for marketing managers, which sees this job pool growing by about 12.5% over the next eight years. Marketing managers generally determine the demand for products and services offered by a firm and its competitors and identify potential customers.

The income of a marketing manager is about $40 per hour or $84,360 per year on average in South Carolina. In the U.S. as a whole, their income is about $52 hourly or $108,580 yearly on average. Earnings for marketing managers are better than earnings in the general category of Marketing and Advertising in South Carolina and better than general Marketing and Advertising category earnings nationally. Jobs in this field include: marketing coordinator, pricing specialist, and director of sales marketing.

There are twenty schools of higher education in the Columbia area, including one within twenty-five miles of Columbia where you can get a degree to start your career as a marketing manager. Marketing managers usually hold a Bachelor's degree, so you can expect to spend about four years training to become a marketing manager if you already have a high school diploma.

CAREER DESCRIPTION: Marketing Manager

Marketing Manager video from the State of New Jersey Dept. of Labor and Workforce Development

In general, marketing managers determine the demand for products and services offered by a firm and its competitors and identify potential customers. They also develop pricing strategies with the goal of maximizing the firm's profits or share of the market while ensuring the firm's customers are satisfied.

Marketing managers identify and evaluate marketing strategy, on the basis of knowledge of establishment objectives and cost and markup factors. They also use sales forecasting and strategic planning to insure the sale and profitability of products or services, analyzing business developments and monitoring market trends. Equally important, marketing managers have to direct and participate in promotional efforts and trade shows, working with developers and production managers, to market products and services. They are often called upon to formulate, direct and schedule marketing efforts and policies to promote products and services, working with advertising and promotion managers. They are expected to compile lists describing product or service offerings. Finally, marketing managers decide on products and accessories to be displayed at trade or special production shows.

Every day, marketing managers are expected to be able to articulate ideas and problems. They need to think through problems and come up with general rules. It is also important that they listen to and understand others in meetings.

It is important for marketing managers to design pricing strategies, balancing firm objectives and customer satisfaction. They are often called upon to direct the hiring and performance evaluations of marketing and sales staff and oversee their daily efforts. They also confer with buying personnel to get advice regarding the types of products or services expected to be in demand. They are sometimes expected to evaluate the financial aspects of product development, such as budgets, expenditures, research and development appropriations, and return-on-investment and profit-loss projections. Somewhat less frequently, marketing managers are also expected to confer with buying personnel to get advice regarding the types of products or services expected to be in demand.

Marketing managers sometimes are asked to decide on products and accessories to be displayed at trade or special production shows. They also have to be able to confer with product development personnel on product specifications such as layout and packaging And finally, they sometimes have to initiate market research studies and analyze their findings.

Like many other jobs, marketing managers must be reliable and be thorough and dependable.

Similar jobs with educational opportunities in Columbia include:

Advertising Manager. Plan and direct advertising policies and programs or produce collateral materials, such as posters, contests, or give-aways, to create extra interest in the purchase of a product or service for a department, an entire organization, or on an account basis.

Chief Executive Officer. Determine and formulate policies and provide the overall direction of companies or private and public sector organizations within the guidelines set up by a board of directors or similar governing body. Plan, direct, or coordinate operational activities at the highest level of management with the help of subordinate executives and staff managers.

Public Relations Manager. Plan and direct public relations programs designed to create and maintain a favorable public image for employer or client; or if engaged in fundraising, plan and direct activities to solicit and maintain funds for special projects and nonprofit organizations.

Sales Manager. Direct the actual distribution or movement of a product or service to the customer. Coordinate sales distribution by establishing sales territories, quotas, and goals and establish training programs for sales representatives. Analyze sales statistics gathered by staff to determine sales potential and inventory requirements and monitor the preferences of customers.

EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES: Marketing Manager Training

University of South Carolina-Columbia - Columbia, SC

University of South Carolina-Columbia, , Columbia, SC 29208. University of South Carolina-Columbia is a large university located in Columbia, South Carolina. It is a public school with primarily 4-year or above programs. It has 27,500 students and an admission rate of 59%. University of South Carolina-Columbia has a bachelor's degree program in Marketing/Marketing Management which graduated 119 students in 2008.

CERTIFICATIONS

Certified Gemologist:
A more advanced title offered by the American Gem Society requires additional study in diamonds and colored gemstones as well as the mastery of sophisticated testing procedures.

Manager of Quality/Organizational Excellence:
The Certified Manager of Quality/Organizational Excellence is a professional who leads and champions process-improvement initiatives everywhere from small businesses to multinational corporations that can have regional or global focus in a variety of service and industrial settings.

Marketing Skills Certification:
The third module, Marketing Skills Certification (MSC), is the professional certification examination of the Business Marketing Institute, the business-to-business marketing profession's most recognized professional certification standard for marketing managers.

CIAC-Certified Management Apprentice:
Certified Management Apprentice designation is applicable to a variety of professionals including: Persons new to contact centers that desire to gain competence in the basics of operational management, Persons in an entry-level contact center management job role, Persons that are pursuing a career in contact center management, and supervisors that desire to advance their career into operational management of a contact center.

Residential Certified Mortgage Servicer:
The Residential Certified Mortgage Servicer (CMS) Specialist Certificate and Designation program is built on a specialist track system where students can concentrate in the area of servicing most applicable to their day-to-day work or career goals.

Radon Measurement Specialist:
Certification by the National Radon Safety Board as a Radon Measurement Specialist requires demonstration of knowledge which goes significantly beyond that required of a technician.

Radon Mitigation Specialist:
The NRSB requirements for certification as a Radon Mitigation Specialist (RRS) are essentially the same as those established by the Environmental Protection Agency Radon Proficiency Program for radon mitigators.

Program Management Professional:
Project Management Institute's newest credential is specifically developed to acknowledge the qualifications of the professional who leads the coordinated management of multiple projects and ensures the ultimate success of a program.

Accredited Valuation Analyst:
The primary goal of AVA certification is to provide you with information that will serve as a solid foundation for your professional valuation endeavors, whether or not you plan to pursue a designation.

LOCATION INFORMATION: Columbia, South Carolina

Columbia, South Carolina photo by Akhenaton06

Columbia is located in Richland County, South Carolina. It has a population of over 127,029, which has grown by 9.2% over the last ten years. The cost of living index in Columbia, 86, is well below the national average. New single-family homes in Columbia cost $142,700 on average, which is well below the state average. In 2008, four hundred thirty-four new homes were built in Columbia, down from seven hundred the previous year.

The three most popular industries for women in Columbia are educational services, health care, and public administration. For men, it is educational services, public administration, and accommodation and food services. The average commute to work is about 18 minutes. More than 35.7% of Columbia residents have a bachelor's degree, which is higher than the state average. The percentage of residents with a graduate degree, 14.3%, is higher than the state average.

The unemployment rate in Columbia is 16.1%, which is greater than South Carolina's average of 12.0%.

The percentage of Columbia residents that are affiliated with a religious congregation, 41.6%, is less than both the national and state average. Progressive Church, Bishop Memorial African Methodist Episcopal Church and Lutheran Seminary are among the churches located in Columbia. The largest religious groups are the Southern Baptist Convention, the United Methodist Church and the Catholic Church.

Columbia is home to the Booker T Washington Center and the Longstreet Annex as well as Irwin Park and Columbia Historic District II. Shopping centers in the area include Five Points Shopping Center, Market Place Shopping Center and Columbiana Centre Shopping Center. Visitors to Columbia can choose from Marriott Columbia, Hampton Inn Columbia-SE-Fort Jackson and Embassy Suites Hotel for temporary stays in the area.